I can be better
by Turtler-Pomf
Summary: Marceline is a typical slacker with low grades and a hopeless future, but can she change when her best friend Bubblegum begins to lose hope for their friendship? And what if it takes Bubblegum to fall into the arms of another for Marceline to realise her feelings at all? MarcelinexBubblegum, Highschool AU and rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: School is a drag

It was a beautiful morning. Birds chirping, children laughing on their way to school and the sounds of cars and bike bells echoed through the small town. Well, for most, that is. But not for a certain dark haired girl who was still fast asleep, lost in her fantasy world that stole her from this world entirely as she slept peacefully.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

"Ugh..." The alarm went off, but the sleeping girl made no attempt to get up and instead hit the snooze button before pulling her pale arm back under the blanket. It was the fith time she had hit that button, but sleep was something she cared for more than school. There was nothing for her there; her grades were bad, she hated everyone and she just didn't care. Surely an extra hour or two of sleep wouldn't kill.

Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzz

But even that was too much to ask as her phone began to vibrate on her bedside table. Knowing someone was calling her, she pulled her phone into her warm cave and answered it in a sleepy voice.

"Hello?"

"Marceline...you're not up yet, are you?" Marceline jumped up from inside her blankets as soon as she heard Bubblegum's voice on the other end.

"N-no way! I'm up." She lied, but quickly tried to smoothly change the subject. "Anyway, what do you want, Bonnabell?"

"You're such a liar, Marceline." Bubblegum huffed "And I called because I knew you'd still be asleep. You know your grades won't get better if you just slack off" Marceline rolled her eyes as Bubbledgum went on. Of course she'd say that, it was easy for her. She was the top of the class and had perfect grades AND was popular with the guys. Bubblegum had every reason to go to school.

"That's nice and all, bonnie, but I just don't think I care enough." Marceline yanwned, earning herself a sigh from Bubblegum who's tone changed from concerned to annoyed.

"Look, just get your butt into this school before the bell or you're in big trouble."

"Like?" Marceline insisted Bubblegum go on.

"Like I'll tell Simon what you've been up to." Bubblegum said blandly before hanging up.

Marceling stared at her phone in shock for a moment before shifting to the edge of her bed and checking the time.

8:42am

"Crap!" She hurried off her bed, almost tripping up and falling on the floor in her rush. She went into the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth and doing her hair quickly before dashing back into her room and shifting through her wardrobe to find something to wear. "Nope. No way. Ugh, no!" She threw several shirts and jeans onto her bed as she searched.

"Bingo" She smiled, picking out one of her favourite T-shirts and a pair of black jeans to match. She got dressed quickly and threw on her shoes, grabbed her back and dashed out the door before checking her phone for the time.

8:56am

"Ugh, I'm gonna be late..." She scowled before throwing her phone in her pocket. "I'm gonna have to really fun for it" She sighed before running as fast as she could all the way to school, desperate to make it in time.

It wasn't that she was worried about Bubblegum telling on her, it was the fact it was Simon she was going to tell. Simon was her actual gardian since her parents died, but he gave her the chance to have her own place and be a little more independant. However there was a rule that she has to be responsible, meaning she had to attend school everyday unless she was dying, no parties or late nights, no recklessness and the place had to be clean. She was never a clean person either, so the place wasn't exactly clean, and she had been known for having a few small parties, however Bubblegum had always covered for her. She's clean the place before Simon would come over for his check-up visits and all sorts. She was a good friend to Marceline, but sometimes she had to pull the blackmail card just to get her butt into gear.

"I can't believe this is happening. If she tells him, I'll be moving back with him for sure" She thought to herself as she saw the school gates up ahead. Not far now.

She finally made it in and was at her locker, checking the time as she caught her breath.

"9:10am" She breathed "Damn it..." She was late and class was already starting. She knew she'd get it from Bubblegum, but she sighed and dragged her tired body to her class.

"Now class, turn to page-" The teacher was inturrupted by Marceline, who just walked in and made her way to her desk, uncaring of everyone else who were all staring at her, except Bubblegum, who was expecting it. "Marceline, you're a little late, aren't you?"

"Yeah, sorry I'm late. My alarm didn't wake me up on time." She sighed, resting her head on her arms. She was too tired for this.

The teacher went on with their class, talking away and writing things on the board while Marceline ignored him, snoozing away at her desk. A certain pink haired girl watched her friend from the other side of the classroom, glaring slightly as she faught the urge to throw a book at her to wake her up.

"Honestly, she's hopeless" She sighed, turning her attention back to the teacher and jotting down more notes.

THUD

"Wha-?" Marceline jumped up, still half asleep as the large thud woke her up. She looked up to see class had ended and Bubblegum was standing by her desk and had dropped a text book on her desk.

"You slept through the whole of class." She huffed.

"So? I still came in." Marceling yawned, stretching her arms out and arching her back. "You're not going to tell on me, are you?"

"...Tsk..." Bubblegum sighed in defeat. "This is the last time I'm letting you off. You need to stop being so reckless and working to get your grades up." This earned Bubblegum the rolling of Marceline's eyes as she stood up, wrapping an arm over Bubblegum's shoulder.

"Oh, Bonnie, when will you learn?" She sighed. "It's hopeless. I just don't care enough" She smirked, trying to lighten the mood as the two of them walked out and made their way to their next class. Of course Bubblegum was irritated, but she couldn't stay mad at Marceline for too long and ended up giving in.

When they arrived at their next class, Marceline sat next to Bubblegum at the back, getting her books out and making an attempt to learn for Bubblegum's sake. She glance around the room and saw some of her classmates looking back at the two and a few whispers starting going on. Bubblegum was too distracted to notice, but Marceline could hear bits of it clearly, and her eyebrow began to twitch with irritation.

"Bubblegum's really still friends with that loser?"

"I know, she'll bring her grades right down if she continues to hang around with Marceline."

"Maybe she's being forced"

"Maybe Marcelin's just using her for her own grades"

The whispers continued to be exchanged, getting on Marcelin's nerves more and more. Is that really how they saw it? How rude. Marceline and Bubblegum had been friends since they were kids, and even though Marceline wasn't as smart or good as Bubblegum, Bubblegum still loved her.

Marceline was just about ready for the day to be done already when their teacher came in and started the class.

Marceline did her best to stay focused and work, but no matter how hard she tried, she just kept losing focus and would find something else to destract her mind. She tried dozing off again, but because Bubblegum was beside her, she kept knocking Marceling to wake her up.

"Uwaaah" Marceline fell onto a chair and rested her head on the table, wanting to sleep right through their break. But Bubblegum was there, as well as some other friends of theirs.

"Finn, be careful." Bubblegum scolded one of their other friends. A boy who was a few years younger than them, but he was cool as far as they were concerned. There was also Marshall, Fiona and Gumball. Fiona was never around and was Finn's friend, but every now and then she'd stop by. Marceline didn't like her very much though, maybe because she was always trying to hit on Marshall or Gumball. However those two weren't interested in dating a girl her age.

"So, how are my girls doing?" Marshall grinned, strutting over and sitting next to Bubblegum, who was opposite Marceline.

"Pfft, we're not 'your girls' at all, but we're fine." Bubblegum retorted. "Except someone won't stop causing me trouble today." She huffed, gesturing to the sleeping Marceline.

"Now, now. Is that any way to speak about your very dear friend?" Gumball cut in, sitting beside Marceline who was then awoken by Finn, who kept poking her arm.

"Finn, knock it off..." She swipped at his hand tiredly before dropping her head back down and trying to fall back asleep, but her chatting friends had made it impossible.

"How much sleep are you getting at night, Mar-mar?" Gumball asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked at her. "Is it the required 8-9 hours per night?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." She replied, waving off his question.

"Now, now, Marceline. You know you should be getting-"

"What the dweeb is trying to say is that you should get more sleep so you're not being a bore during the day by sleeping." Marshall cut in, smirking mischieviously as Gumball glared at him from across the table.

"Ugh, fine!" Marceline snapped. "Just...let me sleep a little more" Usually Marceline found arguing funny, but since she was so tired, it was nothing but annoying when she was trying to sleep.

"Man, you used to be cool." Mashall scowled before throwing a few grapes in his mouth.

The four friends continued to chat while Marceline slept. Finn would make a few lame jokes to make Bubblegum laugh while Marhsall would continued to annoy Gumball. Sure, Marceline would have missed all that if she cared enough, but lately, she just didn't. She loved her friends, but when she was this tired, she just wanted to sleep. If only she hadn't stayed up all night trying to study. Yes, study.

The whispers hadn't just started today, but Marceline had been hearing them for a while. She hated how people thought of her as a slacker and no good for Bubblegum, so she tried her best to study. No matter how hard she tried though, none of it stuck and she was right where she started. Of course, she didn't let anyone know what she was doing; she kept it a secret. And honestly, she was ready to give up on even that. She was ready to except that she may be useless and even hopeless.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: Whispers and rumors

"I told you not to sleep through lunch, but you insisted." Bubblegum sighed as her dark haired friend ate her sandwich as fast as she could on their way to class.

"Yeah, but...you could have at least woke me up ten minutes before the bell" She argued in between bites, shoving as much as she could in her mouth.

"Listen, Marceline. You need to start taking responsiblity for yourself and stop relying on me so much." Her calm look turned into a frown when she heard a groan come from the other, making her speed up as they walked through the hallway.

"Huh? Hey, wait up, bonnie" Marceline called, finishing her sandwhich and catching up. "Are you mad?" She smirked, leaning forward to get a good look at the other girl's obvious scowl.

"Not now, Marceline." Bubblegum warned, swatting Marceline's hand away. "I really am mad at you."

"Why?" She sounded defeated before letting out a sigh "Geez, let it go. It's not your life or future I'm messing up, so why are you always getting so worked up?" Marceline shrugged it off, but her words had effected Bubblegum more than she realised as the pinkette turned away, lowering her head until her eyes were covered by her bangs.

"Is that how you see it?" She muttered, but it was loud enough for Marceline to hear and making a few heads turn. "You think that it's only your life you're messing up?"

"Huh?" Marceline was at a loss for words as Bubblegum turned, yelling that last part at her. Marceline's eyes darted around the hall to see everyone's eyes on them. Great, this was the last thing she needed now. As if people didn't have enough reason to hate her.

"You think that you're the only person who will suffer if you screw up?" Bubblegum yelled, hitting the palm of her hand on her own chest as she faught back tears. "How could you be so selfish!? But if that's how you see it, maybe our friendship isn't worth anything to you!"

"That's not it at all. What are you even..." Marceline reached out for Bubblegum's hand, but Bubblegum pulled it away and ran off down the hall in a hurry, her pink hair swaying behind her. All Marceline could do was stand and watch, completely shocked by her best friends sudden burst. What was that all about? Bubblegum had never lost her composure like that, let alone make a scene.

And just like that, the people began to whisper, all staring at Marceline as she thought about what was going on. She lowered her head, bangs covering her red eyes as she bit back her tongue.

"She finally see's her for what she is."

"She was only holding Bubblegum back anyway"

"She deserves it, after all. Who would use someone for their grades?"

"Poor Bubblegum." The whispers were too much and Marceline felt her knees get weak under the pressure of their stares. She tightened her fist, unable to bite her tongue any longer.

She ran as fast as she could out of there. She wasn't sure where she was running, but she just wanted out. She wanted to be away from their stares and cruel words. She wanted to be with Bubblegum, but she knew that wasn't an option right now. She wasn't sure if it would be ever agian and the mere thought stung her eyes with tears.

"What the hell?" She muttered, continueing to barge past the several people in the school.

She made it to a tree outside in the school feel. It was slightly hidden, so no one would think to look here, and so, Marceline sat down, bringing her knees close to her chest and burrying her face in her in them.

"Bubblegum...what happened back there? Are you really that mad at me? I don't understand." She mumbled. "please don't hate me.." Her fist tightened into little balls as she cried, unable to understand what she was feeling. It was a mix of anger and fear, fear that Bubblegum was never going to come back. She knew she was always pushing her luck, always taking advantage of Bubblegum's kindness to her, but they were best friends and that's what they do, right?

"Marceline?" A familiar voice called out to her, making her jump slightly. She saw pink hair, and blue eyes, but it wasn't Bubblegum; it was Gumball. Seeing him standing there, she frantically began to wipe at her eyes to get rid of any tears. He smiled sympathetically, sitting beside her and patting her head. "I heard what happened."

"Already? News travels fast then, don't it?" She scowled, trying to hide her face from him. "Anyway, what do you want? Because if you're just going to lecture me then-"

"I'm not here for that, Marceline." He cut in, smiling at her gently. "I wanted to see if you were okay." A little shocked, Marceling glanced at him. "Fights happen between friends all the time, so it's nothing to worry about. But I understand you two have never faught like this before, so I wanted to check on you."

"I don't get it. Why me? I mean, Bubblegum was the one who was upset." Gunball let out a small chuckle at Marceline's protest.

"So you mean to say you're not upset at all?" He asked, tilting his head to get a better look at her. When he was greeted with silence, he let out another chuckle. "You were crying, and if I'm not mistaken, that is indeed a sign of sadness."

"I wasn't crying!" Marceline snapped. "Ugh, are you just here to tease me about it? Go away!"

"I already told you why I'm here. Now stop being so proud and just admit to it already." He sighed, pulling her head into his chest for a type of hug. "Really Marceline, you're hopeless sometimes." He smiled gently, however Marceline couldn't see it, but her face was still slightly flushed and shocked. Why was he being so nice? I mean, he was always nice, it's Gumball. But he was missing lesson to be here with her, and that's not like him at all.

"Gumball..."

"Hmm?" He rose an eyebrow, letting her pull her head back up.

"Why are you doing this? You're missing lesson to be here, and Bubblegum needs you more."

"I told you, I was worried. Besides, it's not like one lesson will matter for now, right?" He smiled. "Marshall went off to find Bubblegum too, and I do believe Finn went with him." That last big made Marceline feel weird all of a sudden. Marshall and Finn were off comforting her, yet Gumball decided to be here.

"...Thanks, but you can go now. I've kept you long enough and I'll be fine."

"Marceline, if you care about Bubblegum, then do her a favour and work hard, ok? Come to school on time by yourself and study hard. It'll mean a lot to her." And with that, he stood up and patted her head one last time. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, bye." She said quietly, lost in thought about what Gumball had just said. He already knew about her already trying her best but getting nowhere, yet he told her that. Maybe she was just not putting enough effort into it. Well all she knew was that she could certainly try, for Bubblegum's sake, at least. But there was one problem: her pride. If she was to fail and everyone knew, she'd be unable to show her face again. It would crush her pride and she couldn't stand that, but then again, what pride did she have now? Everyone probably now knows about the fight and how much of a failiure she is. Even her own best friend has had enough.

Marceline managed to pull herself up and make her way to her class. She knew there would be whispers and stares, and the thought made her want to run home, but she had to go for Bubblegum's sake, just like Gumball said. She knew Bubblegum would certainly stay mad at her if she skipped lesson.

She reached the door and took in a deep breath, reaching slowly for the handle. 'come on, just open the door' she yelled in her head.

"Marceline?" She jumped at the voice, turning to see Bubblegum standing there with Marshall. "Ah, well in that case, I'll leave you two to it" He smirked, patting Bubbblegum's head before running off to his own class.

"Bubblegum..." The two girls stared at each other, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry." Marceline spoke up, tugging on the bottom of her top. "I didn't know it-"

"Don't worry about it." Bubblegum sighed. "I shouldn't have made a scene like that. But I...I've been trying so hard to help you out, Marceline. All you seem to do is throw in back in my face and it's..." She trailed off, turning her head away from Marceline's gaze.

"I didn't know it was like that. Bubblegum, I'll try harder from now on, okay? So don't be mad anymore." Marceline was practically begging, but all Bubblegum did was let out a sigh.

"We'll see. I can't just not be mad because you said you'll try. That's what you said at the beginning of this year." She was right though. Marceline had promised she'd do her best this year, but as far as Bubblegum was concerned, all Marceline did was oversleep, waste time and put no effort in whatsoever. Gumball was the only one who knew how hard Marceline had been trying, the reason she was oversleeping and paying little attention in class. Though it would have helped if she focused more.

Before Marceline could even say anything, Bubblegum reached for the handle and walked into the classroom, followed by a conflicted Marceline. Their classmates stared at them, there was nothing but silence. It made Marceline's mind race; she just wanted to run away from this place. Why do people have to stare anyway? Did they have any manners?

"Sorry we're late. We had a bit of an issue with my locker and Marceline helped me fix it." Bubblegum lied, taking Marceline by shock. Why was she covering for her? Why didn't she just tell the truth? Well it didn't matter now.

"Alright, well hurry up and take your seats" The teacher said simply before turning back to the board. Bubblegum sat at her seat without saying a single word, getting her books and out and getting on with class. Marceline was still startled though and fell into her seat and thought to herself. She had to really start working harder if she wanted to get Bubblegum to forgive her.

Meanwhile, in another class, the two young boys were sat chatting as their class worked. Of course the topic of their conversation was in fact their two friends, Bubblegum and Marceline.

"Do you think they'll work everything out? I'd hate for them to fall out over something like this." Gumball sighed, his head resting on his hand.

"Yeah, don't sweat it. They've been friends forever, I doubt they'll stop talking." Marshall sighed, scribbling some pictures in his book with his back to the wall.

"I don't know. Bubblegum seemed really upset and it's not like her to lash out like that."

"Dude, just chill. It's got nothing to do with us anyway. Sure, if they fall out it'll be a little awkward for us to hang out all together, but they need to fight there own fights." Of course, Marshall was right. It was their fight to sort out, so the two young men should respect that and not get involved. However Gumball just couldn't let that be. He loved both of them very much; they were dear friends to him. And he hated seeing either one of them upset. Seeing Marceline was enough for him today to know he had to be there.

"Well we should still do our best to support them." Gumball sighed.

"Whatever, man. All I know is I don't want to be involved in their cat fight." That was so like him though, So Gumball didn't argue anymore and simply gazed out of the window.

"Hey, Bubblegum, you wanna walk home with us today?" A girl asked Bubblegum as the class packed away their things, getting ready to go home.

"Sorry, I already have plans." She replied without even looking at the girl.

"Oh...you mean with her?" The girl looked towards Marceline, who was stood quietly behind her seat, waiting for the bell. "I don't know why you bother, Bubblegum. Just ditch that loser and-"

"Shut up." Bubblegum cut the girl off, glaring at her. "Who do you think you are saying such a thing anyway? She may be a skacker sometimes, and she may not be perfect, but I wouldn't 'ditch' her to hang out with anyone even if she does make me mad." And with that, the bell rang and she stood up. "Now excuse me." She said coldly and left, leaving the girl speechless.

"Come on, Marceline." Bubblegum sighed, signalling Marceling to hurry up. Marceline was a little shocked again, but hurried over and the two girls left together.

The two girls walked in silence, a tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Marceline's mind was racing of things to say, but nothing came out of her mouth and instead, she continued walking a few steps behind her pink haired friend. She didn't understand.

"Wait here, I need to use the bathroom quickly" Marceline nodded as Bubblegum walked into the girls toilets and leaned against the wall, looking around at all the students who were eager to get home.

"Marceline the loser Queen." A voice called, followed by several snickers and laughs. Marceline looked to see three girls stopping in front of her. "What are you doing waiting outside the girls toilets? Did Bubblegum finally ditch you?" The girl in the middle said, snarling as Marceline faught back the earg to rip her head off.

"That'd really make you happy, wouldn't it?" Marceline scowled. "But no, Bubblegum's in there and I'm waiting for her. Sorry to dissappoint" The three girls exchanged disgusted looks before turning their attention back to Marceline.

"I heard someone asked Bubblegum to walk home and she turned her down for you." The leader said again, looking disgusted still. "Seriously, that poor girl doesn't know what she's wasting her time on. I hope one day she'll actually wake up and ditch you."

"Yeah, you're nothing but a loser, Marceline. If you really want to do the world a favour, then go away and let Bubblegum actually have some decent friends." Another laughed.

"You're like a plague that no one wants. You're parents ditched you when they realised that and soon Bubblegum will too" They all began laughing again. Marceline's hands turned into tight fist that were ready to punch something, clenching her teeth so hard she thought they were going to break under the pressure. But before she could do anything.

"Marceline?" A voice called out. It was Gumball. He walked over and stood beside Marceline and smiled brightly at the other girls. "I do hope there isn't a problem. That would make me really mad if you were picking on her." Despite having a smile on his face, the three girls could understand the threat clearly and began to stutter.

"Really, you have too many fans nowadays, Marceline. I'm a little jealous." Another voice called out. Marshall was leaning against a wall, smirking at the three girls. "I didn't think you girls went that way either. That's a shame." She flipped his hair slightly, straightening it out again with his hands. The three girls blushed, their jaws dropping. Marshall was popular with the ladies, and he always loved to tease. He just couldn't help himself.

"N-no! You've got it all wrong." The first girl waves her hands in a dismissive attempt.

"Yeah, we're not into her. We were just...err.." Another trailed off, unsure of how to finish. She knew if she told the truth, a certain pink haired boy behind them would surely get angry.

"A-anyway, we're done here. Lets go" The first girl scowled again, turning on her heels and leading the way off as the two girls followed.

Marceline let out a sigh she let her jaw and hands relax again, falling back into the wall and leaning on it. Gumball's features softened as he placed his hand on her shoulder, comforting her the best he could in the given situation. Marshall on the other hand strutted over and placed a hand on her head.

"Good thing we showed up when we did. That could have got ugly really fast" Marhsall chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Marceline...is everything alright." Gumball asked in a gentle voice, noticing her head facing down and her shoulders trembling slightly.

"I'm fine, just forget it." Marceline managed to say. "Do me a favour and don't tell Bubblegum, okay?" The two boys exchanged looks before nodding at each other and turning back to her.

"Alright, we'll keep it a secret." Marshall smirked, placing one finger over his lips. Just then, Bubblegum came out of the toilets and in the commotion of the two boys greeting her, Marceline was able to sort herself out and put on her smile.

"Right, well should we get going?" Bubblegum smiled and everyone nodded. However on there was out, Marceline felt her heart sink. The words those girls said ran through her head over and over. Should she really just go away? Is that really what everyone wants? Even Bubblegum? The thought alone stung her eyes. Shaking her head to forget it, she continued walking, but her thoughts couldn't stay distracted for long and she bagan straying behind slightly. Bubblegum and Marshall were lost in conversation, both laughing away when Gumball turned to notice Marceline a few steps behind, her gaze distant and lost in thought. He stopped and waited for her to catch up and when she did, he smiled gently, patting her head.

"Huh?" She was brought out of her thoughts and was startled by him. "What is it?"

"You're straying behind, Mar-Mar." His blue orbs stared into her red ones with sincere feelings. It threw her off a little and she wasn't really sure how to respond, so instead, she looked away.

"Oh...sorry." She continued walking, trying to catch up with the two unaware friends up ahead. However when she saw them together, she paused again, her eyes widening slightly. She felt a pain in her chest, like a needle stabbed into her chest. What was this just now?

"Marceline, is it still bothering you?" Gumball stood beside her again, grabbing her attention.

"Wh-what?" She felt her cheeks turn red with embarrassment. Sure it made her feel weird seeing those two like that. Maybe even jealous, but why? It never usually bothered her.

"You know, those girls in the hallway. Is what they said really bothering you that much?" Oh, so that's what he meant. Marceline felt herself sigh in relief, but apon remembering those cruel words those girls threw at her, her heart fell heavy again. "It's not like you to take something someone says to heart. Not like that, anyway"

"I told you, Gumball. I'm fine." She shook his concern off and began walking again, staring at her two friends ahead. Each time she heard Bubblegum's laughter mixed with his, it sent another shot of pain to her chest, making it heavier. She couldn't take it anymore and looked away, averting her eyes completely when she noticed Gumball still walking beside her.

"Why are you sticking with me?" She asked, frowning slightly. "Why don't you go and join in their conversation? Can't be any fun back here with me."

"I could ask you the same question." Gumball smirked. "You're back here all on your own, lost in thought completely. Now that's not like you at all. Besides, I'm having plenty fun here with you." Marceline blinked a few times, unsure of what he meant.

"You're weird. We're not even doing anything to make it fun."

"We don't need to. Being able to just walk and talk about small things is fine. Having too much commotion can be tiring. And also, if you try to make something fun, it won't be fun. Fun comes naturally, after all" Ah, again with the deep conversation. Gumball was always like that, but it wasn't bad. It was nice to have someone you could talk seriously with.

"Gumball, do you think it's true though? Do you think Bubblegum would be better off without me holding her back?" Just then, Gumball shook his head.

"No. You're not doing anything of the sorts. Bubblegum loves you, Marceline. You're her best friend and she'd never think of you that way. People can be cruel with their words, but they're only said to hurt you, not speak truth." He placed his hand on her shoulder again. "Besdies, Marshall and I also love you very much. Remember that, okay?" His kind smile calmed Marceline down and she nodded.

"Thanks." She managed to smile a little and the two of them caught up with the other two a little, still walking a little back from them so they could talk about something else. Marceline had the feeling that she'd ruin Bubblegum's fun if she was to join in anyway.

AN: Thanks for the reads and feedback, everyone. Also, I'm not all too sure how American styles highschools are either, so I hope you can excuse any errors on that part. But using a British theme would have sucked because it's too boring ; 3 ; unirforms and stuff. Anyways, thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three: Making it better

Marceline fell onto her bed, sighing heavily as she stared at the pale ceiling above her. What was she doing with her life, really? She was failing in everything and now she was losing a friend because of that.

Tears began to sting at her eyes at the thought of Bubblegum really leaving her. She rolled over on her side and hugged one of her pillows close to her chest in an attempt to stop herself when the words of those girls ran through her head again, making it even harder.

"Tch..." She cursed under her breath as she began to cry, burrying her face into the pillow in an attempt to muffle her cries. She never cried, or at least, she wouldn't let herself. She didn't even cry when her parents died. She just pushed it all back and kept going, but it was painful. All her life she had lost people, and the only person she couldn't bare to lose was leaving. Why was she so pathetic?

Knock-knock.

"Huh?" Marceline lifted her head up, blinking a few times as she heard the knock at the door. She sat up, rubbing at her eyes frantically in an attempt to clear away any signs she had been crying and hurried to the door.

"What do you want?" She said as she opened the door. To her surprise it was Simon, her gardian. "Simon? What are you doing here?" She moved aside to let him in.

"Can't I come and visit my little Marceline to see how she's doing?" He smiled gently, patting her on the head. "I heard about what happened today with those girls and your fight with Bubblegum" Of course.

"Who told you?" Marceline sighed, knowing she was in for it now. Simon was the last person she wanted to find out.

"Oh, that's a secret. He made me promise not to tell." He let out a dorky laugh. That made Marceline roll her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. It was a dead give away who it was now, but Simon was just...Simon. A lovable old man who was just misunderstood by a lot of people. He was sweet and kind.

"It was Gumball, wasn't it?" Marceline rose an eyebrow, hand resting on her hip.

"How did you know?" Simon sounded shocked. "Don't tell him I told you. Blame it on that Marshall guy, he'll go easy on him."

"You make it sound like he'll beat you up for spilling the beans." Marceline smirked. As depressed as she was, Simon never failed to put a smile on her face and help her forget her worries even without meaning to. "Hmm, you'll have to convince me to not tell him."

"Oh, come on, Marceline. Is that any way to treat your old pal?" He tried to reason, acting overly dramatic.

"Geez, you're serious, aren't you?" Marceline laughed. "You're such a loser if you're scared of Gumball. He couldn't hurt a fly." She said before taking a bite out of an apple.

"It's good to see you're smiling, Marceline. I was worried that it had really effected you with the way he made it sound. But you seem the same as usual." He smiled, patting her on the shoulder which made Marceline look at him a little shocked.

"Simon?" Did he act all that out just to make her smile?

"Well you know my number, so don't be scared to give me a call when you need me, okay? I'm your gardian, after all." He chuckled, walking over to the door. "Oh, and Marceline?"

"Hmm?"

"Take care, sweetie"

"Bye, Simon. And thanks." Marceline smiled as she watched him leave. He gave a soft nod before heading off, leaving the girl to her own thoughts. Had he come over just to check on her and make her smile? The thought alone made Marceline smile again. How stupid of her to have thought such selfish things before. Thinking that no one cared for her and that maybe those girls were right? How silly.

"Oh, Simon. What am I gonna do with you?" She spoke to herself, looking down at the red apple in her hand. Simon was her fathers best friend and work partner. He was also Marceline's godfather, and since her parents died, he's been taking care of her. He was usually strict with her, but whenever she was upset or angry, he was completely different. He understood her and helped her in his own was. He knew that as a teenaged girl, she wouldn't want him in her space, constantly insisting to help her. He knew she needed her space, and he knew she'd never ask even if she did need him. So he kept it simple and Marceline loved that about him.

Bzzzz-bzzzz

"Huh? What now?" She sighed, pulling out her phone. "Gumball?" She read the name before answering. "What do you want, Gumboy"

"Nice to talk to you too." He chucked. "But you sound like yourself again, which is good. I take it Simon's already been by?"

"Yeah, and I have a bone to pick with you" She huffed. "Why'd you tell him?" She heard another chuckle from Gumball on the other end of the phone.

"Sorry, Mar-Mar" He answered with a pout.

"That's all you can say?" Marceline sighed. "You're not even going to give me a good reason to why you told him?"

"Because we're friends." There was a moment of silence as Marceline frowned, trying to think of something to say back. "Marceline, you worry too much. So from now on, let me o the worrying for you, okay? Well, I gotta go, so talk to you tomorrow at school. Bye, Mar-Mar"

"...uh, bye" Marceline managed to get in before he hung up. Geez, what was that guys problem? Why was he being all weird all of a sudden? I mean, Gumball was always like that with his friends, but he was being a little more overbaring this time.

"Geez.." Marceline sighed, falling back onto her sofa and resting her phone on her stomach. "I don't get it. What do I do, dad?" She whispered, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

"I just don't get it" Bubblegum sighed into her phone. "Maybe I should just give up alltogether."

"No, that's not what I'm saying." Marshall replied. "I mean to just distance yourself a bit. Then she'll realise what she's lost and will change for the better."

"Distance myself? For how long?" Bubblegum's voice was small as she spoke. The thought of not being with Marceline as much tore her appart. "It won't just be her that'll hurt from that"

"Then I'll have to keep you busy so you don't have any time to think about it." He chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"Bubblegum, lets go on a date"

"..Ehhh!?" Bubblegum was leaning forward with her phone pressed to her cheek with wide eyes. Did Marshall really just ask her out? She was confused and didn't even know how to respond for a moment.

"Don't sound so surprised. Since we're friends, it'll be more like a day out anyway" He chuckled, sounding casual, as usual.

"Jeez, you really know how to surprise a girl." Bubblegum rolled her eyes, sighing. "But whatever. If it helps me forget Marceline for a bit, then I'm okay with that."

"No, you have to say you'll go because you want to spend time with me. You can't make this about Marceline. Forgetting about her won't work if you make this date's purpose to forget."

"Fine, fine. I'll go because I want to spend time with you." as she said that, she could hear Marshall laughing a little on the other end of the phone, making her roll her eyes again.

"Great. We can go somewhere after school. It'll be a surprise, okay? Just leave it to me" Bubblegum could just picture his smirking face now as he said that.

"Alright, Marshall. I'll see you tomorrow"

"Later." And with that, Bubblegum hung up, falling back onto her bed with a sigh.

"Marceline..." She muttered before closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

"Bubblegum?" Marceline's eyes opened and she sat up, rubbing her head and looking around confused. "I had the stranest dream last night." She sighed, looking at her cat that had just walked in. "It was about Bubblegum..."

Before she lost herself in thought of the dream, she looked at the clock to see it was only 7:30am. She had plenty of time, and she was surprised she had woken up on time for once. She stood up and rubbed the back of her head with one hand and her back with the other.

"Jeez...remind me to never fall asleep on the sofa again.." She groaned before heading into the kitchen and getting some breakfast. It was nothing but an apple, but she was fine with that.

After eating that, she went upstairs and showered before brushing her teeth and getting dressed. She wore her dark blue skinny jeans and a black T-shirt with a red, checkered shirt over the top. She looked in the mirror and nodded, content with it.

"Now I've gotta sort out this mop" She chuckled, looking at her messy hair. It wasn't wet from the shower since she kept it out of the water, but it was still a mess nonetheless.

She ran the brush through it and straightened it out until she was satisfied with it before throwing on her shows and grabbing her bag.

"8:15am?" She sounded shocked as she saw the time. She took that as a good sign that today was going to be a good day. She had woke up on time naturally and felt fresh and ready for the day. All the negative things from the previous day didn't seem to matter. It was like a bad dream now, and she was ready to make mends with Bubblegum. She was going to work hard.

She headed to school, taking a nice, slow stroll. She inhaled the summer smells as she walked, the sun beaming down gently as the morning continued to greet people. Usually she was in a rush and never really got to appreciate the summer mornings, but now she was really getting a good vibe from it. It was nice.

As she walked through the school entrance, she recieved stares from the other students; as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Even a few teachers were staring at her. She didn't pay it any attention though and headed to the table her and her friends always sat at.

"Hm, I'm first here then." She smirked as she sat in the seat and looked around. "Jeez, waiting is so boring." She sighed before getting out a sketch book and drawing. She had been sat there for a while, jsut drawing in the book contently when a familier voice called to her.

"Marceline!?" She looked up to see Gumball sit opposit her on the table with his jaw hanging slightly. "Am I seeing things? Did I eat too many cupcakes last night?" He joked.

"I don't see how cupcakes could make you see things, especially me." Marceline chuckled.

"Well it's good to see you're smiling again, Mar-Mar." He smiled. The light from the window was hitting his back, making him look angelic. Marceline stared for a moment, her eyes fixed on him without choice. She was brought back to reality and blinked a few times before smiling at him with the rolling of her eyes.

"Thanks, you dork." She smirked, returning her attention back to her drawing.

"What are you doodling there?" Gumball asked, leaning forward to get a better look before he swiped it out of Marceline's possession.

"H-hey, don't just-"

"Oh, wow..." He stared at the drawing, his jaw hanging a little again. "This is amazing, Marceline..." He turned the picture back to her and pointed at it. "You really drew this?"

"Y-yeah..it's no big deal. It's not even that good though. Just a scribble.." She blushed, feeling embarrassed. She had never showen anyone her drawings before, so she wasn't used to the compliments.

"It's amazing, Marceline. You have a real talent for it." But it wasn't just any drawing. It was a drawing of Bubblegum. She knew it was a bit creepy, but she had always loved drawing Bubblegum. She never knew why, but it made her feel at peace and content. Even though she couldn't do anything right, at least she could draw the one person who believed in her. Marceline had never considered it a talent though. It was just a small hobby, after all.

"Like I said, it's nothing." She took the book back from her stunned friend and shoved it in her bag before anyone else saw. She managed to calm down too, letting her flushed cheeks cool. And just in the nick of time since Marshall came over.

"Huh?" He stared at Marceline and blinked a few times. "What time is it?" He asked, turning his head to Gumball.

"Well that's a nice way to greet me." Marceline scowled, blowing a peace of loose hair out of her face.

"Well excuse me for being shocked out of oblivion that you're even alive at this time." He scoffed, sitting beside Gumball. "Did Bubblegum wake you up with a call or something?" It then hit Marceline. Bubblegum hadn't called or even texted her at all since yesterday morning. It sent a sinking feeling in Marceline's stomach, but she shook it off. She was determined to fix whatever was wrong today, after all.

"Stop being so mean, Marshall" Gumball scolded. "You should really learn when it's okay to joke and when it's not." Marshall rolled his eyes as their pink haired friend ranted on at Marshall. Marceline watched them with a smile, unable to hold back a small laugh, which caught Gumball's attention.

"I'm glad to hear that sound again." Gumball sighed to himself quietly before looking back at her as she laughed. Even Marshall looked pleased to see it. After all, neither of them had heard her laugh like that since her parents passed away. Sure she laughed, but it was never as sincere as that.

"Good morning." Marceline's laughter was brought to a stop as she saw Bubblegum standing in front of the table and looking at her with a strange expression. Like she was surprised to see her, but also saddened to see her. Like all the effort to keep distanced from Marceline was made even harder.

"Good morning."

"Sup?"

"Hey, Bonnie" Bubblegum flinched slightly as she heard Marceline call her by that name. Even though it hadn't been that long, it still felt strange hearing her say it after their fight.

"So what brings you here so early, Marceline?" Bubblegum asked, sounding rather formal as she did. The stiffness in Bubblegum's posture and words made Marceline feel uneasy and her bright smile faded a little.

"Just thought it was time for a change." Marceline said with a somewhat forced laugh. It's like all the happiness and brightness of her day was suddenly sucked away by the pressence of Bubblegum. The way Bubblegum spoke to her, it was so unnatural. It was like they were strangers all of a sudden.

Gumball glanced at Marceline's distant face and could sense what was going on inside her head. He mentally cursed. It was going so well.

"So, Bubblegum." Gumball spoke up, looking at Bubblegum with a somewhat stern stare. He didn't even realise it. "Looks like Marceline beat you in today. She didn't even need you to wake her up." He put on a bright smile. "Even after she was up so late studying."

This caught everyone off gaurd, even Marceline. Gumball glanced at Marceline and winked nodded before turning back to Bubblegum, who was looking at Marceline with a shocked expression.

"You studied?" She gawked. "Marceline, I-"

"Is it that big of a deal?" Marshall cut in. "I mean, it's only one night of studying. I'll be impressed when she does it every night." He chuckled. Gumball glared at Marshall, his cerulean eyes peircing into Marshall's soul. But of course, it was too late. The words Bubblegum was about to say were completely forgotten as she thought about what Marshall said. Of course she thought he was right.

"Don't look at me like that, Gumball." Marshall rose an eyebrow, noticing the death glare. "Anyone can do one night, but I doubt she can keep it up." Gumball was tempted to exploit the truth and tell him with a 'as a matter of fact' way that she has been studying the whole time. But he couldn't bring himself to betray her. She made him promise not to say anything since she was ashamed she hadn't improved. That and the fact that what he just said was a lie anyway.

"You don't need to be so rude about it, you-"

"Guys, cut it out." Marceline cut in. "It's fine. Marshall's right, after all. But I'll just have to prove him wrong now, won't I?" She smirked, fist pumping the air.

"You're on" Marshall chuckled. Gumball stared at Marceline with a difficult gaze. He didn't understand what she was doing. Why didn't she just tell them the truth? Sure he had no place to do it, but she could at least. But then, why did it matter so much to him? Why was Marceline's happiness so important to him? The simple thought made him chuckle.

The bell rang and everyone went to their classes. There was still an awkward atmosphere between the two girls, but Marceline felt a little better after they spoke a bit more. Bubblegum had been able to relax a little, but she was still trying her best not to be too friendly with Marceline. She had to do what Marhsall said to make it work.

"So do you want to go somewhere after school? We could go shopping" Marceline suggested.

"Uh, I actually have plans already."

"Oh? What plans?" Marceline smirked.

"I don't exactly know yet, but Marshall is taking me somewhere."

"Oh, well have fun." Marceline smiled, though it was forced. She didn't know why, but it hurt her to hear that. Why was she going out alone with Marshall. She knew it was bad to get jealous. She was fine with Bubblegum hanging out with other peoplem, of course. But the fact it was Marshall and they were alone. It sounded like a date. Even if it was, why did it make her feel like this?

AN: I'm so sorry for this chapter taking so long ^^" It's just that I've been ill last couple of days, so getting it finished has been a hassle. Buuut, I managed at last~ Also, I want to say thank you to all the really nice reviews :3 Thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four:

Lesson flew by with Marceline doing her best to pay attention, but the thoughts of Bubblegum and Marshall going out together kept flooding her mind. It was crippling to think about, but no matter how much she tried to consentrate on the lesson, she couldn't forget. The thoughts were like a plague on her broken mind. Was it a date? Were they going to kiss and become boyfriend and girlfriend? Does that mean Bubblegum likes Marshall? And if that's the case, Marshall's been known to move fast in a relationship, so what if he takes her back to his and they have-

"Marceline!" She was snapped out of her thoughts by the teacher. "Is there something else more interesting to be paying attention to?" He asked with a scowl clear on his skinny face.

"Uh, n-no, sir." She looked around, seeing her class mates all staring at her and whispering again. Jeez, knock it off already.

"Well then please pay attention. With your grades as they are, you really don't have time to be daydreaming about stupid things" He turned his attention back to the board.

His words made Marceline's blood boil. How dare he? Who did he think he was degrading his students in front of everyone like that? Marceline was well aware that no teacher at this cursed school liked her, but to embarress her like that? What an ass.

She let out a heavy sigh and looked down at her book, jotting down some notes that she didn't really pay much attention to as she wrote.

Bubblegum glanced at Marceline, her lips pursed slightly as she examined her features. She wasn't sure what Marceline was thinking inside her head, but she could tell by the expression on her face that she wasn't dealing with those thoughts well.

She let out a gentle sigh and turned back to her work, trying to consentrate rather than let all the complicated things going on get to her. Her grades were important, after all.

Class had finally finished and the two girls made their way to their table for break. Marceline tugged on the bottom of her shirt and bit her lip, wondering if she should say something about her and Marshall. She wanted to put her mind at ease, to know it wasn't a date. But so what if it was? Who was Marceline to say who Bubblegum could or couldn't go on dates with? But even though she knew that, she couldn't help but feel a nasty, bitter feeling well up inside of her. She didn't know why, but she didn't want Marshall to take Bubblegum out. She didnt want them to be alone together. She knew it was selfish, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling this way.

Mustering up the courage, she began to speak.

"Hey, Bubble-"

"Hey, Bonnie" Marshall cut in, throwing his arm around Bubblegum's shoulder. It was timed perfectly and Marceline was unable to say what she had wanted to say, but that wasn't the biggest problem. He had called her 'Bonnie' which was Marceline's special nickname for her. She had made that nicknamed from when they were young kids, when it was just her and Bubblegum. Marceline was also the only one to use it, so why would Marshall call her by that name when he had no past to it? Or was Marceline just overreacting? I mean, he had every right to call her whatever he wanted, right? So why did it anger her so much?

Marceline lowered her head as the two walked over to the table, laughing and chatting away and forgetting Marceline altogether. Her heart sunk a little deeper as her words went unspoken, building up inside her.

"Hey, Marceline. What are you doing all by yourself?" A familiar voice asked. Marceline looked up and to her side to see a lock of golden hair and a pair of blue orbs staring at her with concern and wonder.

"Oh...hi, Finn." She sighed, shaking her head and putting on a smile. "I was on my way to our place, obviously"

"But you looked kinda sad" He replied instantly, like he knew she was going to say that and already planned his reply. "Weren't you with Bubblegum until Marshall came over?"

"If you knew, then why ask?" She sighed, sounding irritated.

"Because I knew you'd lie anyway. You're always like that, Marceline." He smiled "You're too proud, so you act like things don't bother you when they really do." Marceline was a little shocked with Finn's words. For an idiot, he sure did observe a lot. But maybe that was it? He wasn't just an idiot that did stupid things to make everyone laugh, but maybe in all those moments he was quiet, he was observing everyone's behaviour. Maybe...

"Listen, I don't know what you're jabbering on about, but let's just go before we miss all of break." Marceline began to walk with Finn beside her.

"Marceline, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Could it be that you're in love with Marshall?" Marceline stopped in her tracks and looked back at Finn with wide eyes and blushed cheeks.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" She scowled. "Of course not!"

"Oh" Finn looked straight with a somewhat difficult stare, as if he was surprised he was wrong. Marceline let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Why would you even think that?"

"Because you've been acting kinda sad since Bubblegum and Marshall got closer." He replied, cocking his head to the side slightly. "So I guess that's why I thought so. Sorry."

"Sorry?" She rose an eyebrow "Jeez, Finn. You don't just ask people if they're in love with someone."

"Well...normally I wouldn't. I mean, normally it's none of my business and so it's okay, but..." Finn's eyes darted to the side, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"Spit it out, Finn." She sighed.

"Well...I thought that if you dated Marshall, Bubblegum would have time to notice me..." Of course. Finn shifted uncomfortable as his confession sunk in to Marceline, shocking her slightly. Of course, she had a hunch that Finn liked someone, but she always thought Fiona was more his thing. But no, he liked Bubblegum.

"Finn, that's not how it works." Marceline sighed, a gentle smile pulling at her lips as she closed her eyes. "Bubblegum already notices you anyway. She notices you as her friend and nothing more. Just because Marshall might date someone else, doesn't mean she'll end up loving you. I mean, if she loves Marshall, then him dating someone else will hurt her and she won't be happy." She paused for a minute, looking back at Finn as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Finn, if you love Bubblegum, then you want her to be happy. You wouldn't want to use her pain for your gain, you know what I'm saying?"

Finn stared at Marceline and his bright eyes dimmed slightly as they looked down on the floor.

"But I...I love her, Marceline. I can't take this constant ache any longer."

"Then let her go, Finn. Sometimes...sometimes love doesn't always work both ways, no matter how much you try. So you have to pick yourself up and say "Alright, fine" and move on. Then it'll hurt a little less with time and eventually you'll find someone else." Marceline smiled, ruffling the younger boys hair. "Besides, you're too young to be worrying about love and all that gross stuff. Just focus on being young and having fun because believe me, you miss that when you grow up." She joked, but behind her laughter was an honest truth.

"Marceline, has that ever happened to you?" Finn asked curiously. He had every right to be curious when Marceline had said something like that. I mean, it would have shocked anyone for her to say something like that.

"No, not yet, Finn. But everyone will in life." She smirked. "Now come on before we really miss break." She laughed, pulling the young boy by the hand and dragging him all the way to their table where everyone was already waiting.

"Oh, greetings. You two are awefully late." Gumball raised an eyebrow. "And together? Weren't you with Bubblegum, Marceline?"

"Yeah, but I ran into Finn in the hall and he needed help with something." Marceline replied casually, sitting next to Gumball. "Why, is it a problem?"

"Not at all. I was just a little surprised, is all." He smiled. "But is there something troubling you, Finn? You look a little blue"

"Nah, I'm fine. I just got a detention for forgetting my homework again and I know my mum is going to ground me" He shrugged it off swiftly, and it almost amazed Marceline how well he had done it. But it made her realise a lot more about him. He was no longer just 'some kid' to her. She felt herself understanding the pain he was feeling, but she wasn't quite sure why.

She glanced over at Bubblegum, who was laughing at something Marshall was saying. A small scowl formed on her face as she looked away, distracting herself with Gumball and Finn's conversation.

The rest of the day flew by, and before Marceline knew it, it was home time. She pulled her bag onto her back and saw Bubblegum off before she left to meet up with Marshall.

"You're going to meet up with Marshall now, right?" She asked casually.

"Yeah. Maybe I'll give you a call later." She gave a small smile, but her eyes shifted uncomfortably.

"Right. Well have fun." Marceline smiled awkwardly before turning away and heading off. She wanted to say what she wasn't able to earlier, but she felt like it was too late now untill.

"Marceline"

"Hmm?" She turned to see Bubblegum looking at her with a somewhat worried expression.

"Are you okay?" Her question caught Marceline off guard a little. "It's just that you've seemed a little-"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it, Bonnie. Just go and enjoy your date with Marshall." She smiled before turning her back again and walking off. She felt a hot, burning sensation on her eyes as she got further and further from Bubblegum, who just watched her leave. The weight on her own heart was unbareable at this moment, but why? It was because the silence comfirmed it.

Her footsteps got faster as she disappeared from Bubblegum's view, running through the sea of students. Bubblegum lowered her head, silence tugging at her heart as she turned away to meet Marshall. She was only going out with him because she believed it would take her mind off of Marceline, but deep down, she wanted to deny it, she wanted to chase after her and grab her hand. She wanted to laugh with her like she did before.

Marceline fell back into her locker, sighing heavily as she ran her hand through her long, black hair and thought long and hard.

"Ugh!" She hit her fist into her locker as the thoughts began to irritate her. Why was she feeling this way? A few students glanced at her in her random outburst, but she payed them no mind. She had gotten good at ignoring stares and whispers now anyway. However, there was one thing she wasn't expecting.

"Marceline?" Gumball ran over to her and grabbed her hand. "What are you doing? You could really damage yourself doing that." He examined her right hand carefully, unaware of her burning eyes as she tried her best not to cry in front of him.

"I'm fine, just leave it." She snapped, pulling her hand away and facing her locker so he couldn't see her. She would have made a run for it, but she knew he'd call Simon about it, so it was best to just stay.

"Marceline, what happened?" His voice was gentle, realising she was more upset than angry. "You can tell me." His hand squeezed her shoulder gently before he turned her around slowly to look at her. "Oh, sweetie..." He could see her fighting back the tears, and he could tell it hurt her to do just that. "Let it out" He sighed, pulling her into his chest.

"...G-Gumball.." It was all she could say before the tears streamed from her eyes and stained his bright blue shirt. He rubbed her back gently, giving her all the support he could with no words. He knew that nothing he said would help right now. He wasn't about to say such empty words like "It's okay" or "I know how it is" So he waited until she could explain herself. Until then, he would just sooth her as best he could.

After a while, the hallways became empty and it was just the two of them. Marceline's shaking body began to calm itself and her breaths became steady again. She pulled away, wiping her tear stained face and looking around awkwardly.

"Are you okay now?" He smiled gently, resting his hands on her shoulder.

"Yeah..." She nodded, her voice still small.

"You wanna tell me what this is all about?"

"..." She was unable to meet his gaze, but nodded her head.

"Alright, then you can tell me on the way home." He smiled. She nodded again and the two made their way out of the school building in silence. It was only until they left the school entirely that they began to speak again.

"It must be something serious to make you cry like that, Mar-Mar." Gumball teased, but his voice and tone was gentle enough to sound sincere and caring, and he really was.

"I don't really know" She shook her head.

"Hmm?"

"I mean, I don't know the reason behind it all. I got angry because I didn't know and I guess the crying was from frustraition." She said casually, as if it was nothing. But in all honesty, it was burning into her. She had cried because it hurt, but she didn't know why it hurt and that made her angry and frustraited at herself.

"What don't you know?" Gumball asked, looking at her curiously.

"My feelings, I guess." She sighed. "Maybe I'm just tired from all this trying and trying and not getting anywhere."

"That would make sense, I guess." He smiled. "But Marceline, you could tell her this and I'm sure she'd understand and forgive you. If she knew how it really was, then I'm sure you'll be the way you were"

"Don't sugggest that, okay?" She hissed. But truthfully, all she wanted was to hear Bubblegums soothing words again. She just wanted to fall into her warm arms and be held by her.

"Alright, I wont do it again." He vowed, smirking a little as he did. "But Marceline?"

"Hmm?"

"Chin up, okay?" His words caught her off guard and she didn't know why, but it made her eyes water again. 'Chin up'. Why was something so simple powerful enough to bring her to tears again? But no, she faught those tears back and shook them off.

"I'll try." She replied. As they walked in silence, Gumball glanced back at her, a gentle, yet pained smiled on his face. What was going through her broken mind? What pain was she feeling? Whatever it was, he knew he could feel it too. He wanted to protect her and make her smile and laugh, but he knew he didn't have that power, not like Bubblegum did.

"Well, thanks for walking me home, Gumball." She turned to him and smiled as she stood at her front door. "You wanna come in for a drink?"

"No, it's alright. I'll leave you to it." He smiled softly.

"Gumball, don't make me drag you in here." She smirked with a raised eyebrow. "Come one, I need some company" When she made such a request, he couldn't turn her down. She made it sound like a lighthearted joke, but he knew it was a serious plea for him to stay. She needed the friendly company to keep her from feeling lonely and thinking about Bubblegum.

"Alright." He sighed, rolling his eyes playfully and following Marceline into her house.

-Meanwhile-

"I don't get what the big deal is, Bonnie" Marshall sighed. "Loosen up. The whole point of this date was forget her, not talk about her."

"Please stop calling me that." Bubblegum replied. "I know you mean well, but it's Marceline's thing. You using it isn't helping me forget."

"Alright, alright." He rolled his eyes before looking at her and watching her gentle features crinckle with thought. He sighed, giving in to his own feelings. "Look, I'm sorry. But can we just enjoy ourselves now? I want to cheer you up, so I'm sorry if I'm being an ass."

Bubblegum rolled her eyes a bit before nodding. She wasn't really able to consentrate on it at all since Marceline left her after school. They had left with so little words and it tore a whole in her heart. She wasn't sure why, but Marceline seemed distant about something all day. She wanted to talk about it like they normally would, but Marceline rejected her and acted like nothing was wrong.

"Bubblegum?" Huh? She was snapped out of her thought by Marshall, who was staring at her with a brow raised. "You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"

"N-no." She lied. "I was thinking about what I wanted to eat when you take me for food later."

"Good save" Marshall smirked. "So have you decided?"

"I figured it would be better to see the menu, but I have a rough idea of what I want to eat."

"Alright. Well then lets go." They continued their game of bolling and headed to a resturaunt after. Marshall was in a bit of a sulk since he lost the game, and Bubblegum was sure to keep that memory burned into his mind as she continued to tease him about it. And for those carefree moments of bliss, she did in fact forget about marceline and the feelings that tugged at her sinking heart constantly. It would be wrong to say she was happy, but she was enjoying herself nonetheless.

"Since I won, does that mean you'll treat me to the biggest ice cream sunday they have?" Bubblegum teased, sitting in her seat.

"How about we make a new deal." Marshall smirked. "If you stop teasing me about losing, I'll buy you anything you want, but as soon as you crack up, you're paying yourself."

"That's no fair. You already told me to leave my purse at home."

"Then you better keep those pretty little lips closed." He chuckled.

"You play a mean game, Marshall." narrowed her eyes on him before a small smirked tugged at her lips. "But you're on."

"Good. So what'll it be?" He asked, looking through his own menu while Bubblegum scanned through hers.

"I guess I'll have something simple...hmm" After they spent some time thinking about what they wanted, they finally placed their order and waited for their food, just chatting about simple things until it got to them. When it did, they continued to chat about lighthearted things and eat.

"So, you up for that big ice cream yet, ?" Marshall teased, noticing how full Bubblegum looked.

"I don't even want to think about ice cream" She giggled.

When they left the resturaunt, it was dark outside and they walked back to Bubblegum's together.

The air was clear and the night wind blew gently threw their hair and refreshed them as the moon shon down with it's gentle glow and the night decorated with stars. Even if they shared no words, the silence was bliss.

"Hey, Bubblegum?" Marshall broke the silence, a small blush creeping on his cheeks. "Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" Bubblegum looked up at him and smiled.

"Yeah, I did. Though I'll be honest, I wasn't sure I would at first." She said honestly, recieving a somewhat started looked from Marhsall.

"Why's that?"

"Well because of everything that's been distracting me lately. I just didn't think it would take my mind off it, but it did, so thank you, Marshall." She smiled, standing still and looking up at him again. They were now outside her house, so it was time to say goodbye.

"It's no problem, Bubblegum." He blushed, but managed to keep a smirk on his face. He was happy knowing he was able to cheer her up, at least.

"Hey, Marshall?"

"Hmm?"

"Goodnight." Bubblegum leaned up and Marshall felt a pair of warm lips against his cold cheek. She met his gaze again, her currulean orbs staring into his red ones. He couldn't control his urges anymore, he just wanted to kiss her so badly.

"Bubblegum, I-"

"I'll see you tomorrow" She smiled softly before letting go of his hands and walking up to her door, heading into her house and leaving him there in silence.

"...I love you." He muttered to himself, turning his gaze to the ground. "But I'll wait a little longer if you need me to."

"Goodness, is that the time?" Gumball jumped up, noticing it was 9:48pm.

"Don't sweat it" Marceline waved an arm in the air before pulling herself up. "You can stay here the night if you want."

"Are you sure? I mean, I'll need to wash my cloths too."

"Yeah, it's cool. Feel free to use the shower whenever." Gumball nodded his head and ruffled her hair.

"Thanks, Mar-Mar." He had been at her place for hours now, just chatting about random things and laughing. However they hadn't done it alone. There were several empty cans of beer scattered on the floor. They weren't hugely drunk, just enough to get a buzz and to feel like nothing mattered. And it was okay since they were both 18 years old anyway.

"Don't mention it. I kinda owe it to you anyways. You've been a good friend, Gumball." Marceline smiled, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "I love you, man."

"...Marceline.." Gumball felt his cheeks flush a shade of pink as his rather drunk friend leaned her face closer.

"Don't worry, I'm not confessing. I love you like a brother" She giggled. "Unless you want me to be confessing."

"N-no..." Gumball sighed. "I love you too, Marceline." His heart felt heavy, like those hours of laughing together just washed away as her drunk words slurred out. And although they may have been drunk slurs, they were truth as well as Gumball's. However Gumball's words were more than drunk slurs, but his honest feelings quietly spilt out into the air only to be forgotten the next day.

But just then, he felt something on his cheek. Something he had longed for; Marceline's lips. he had planted a soft kiss on his cheek before falling back onto her sofa and closing her eyes. Clearly she was flat out now, but Gumball couldn't help but chuckle and smile at her before leaning down and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, Marceline." He whispered before heading up into the shower.

AN: I don'th know this chapter is a bit too short, but I'll probably update tomorrow anyway. Thank you for the kind reviews~!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five: Chain's can't break us, right?

Bubblegum closed her bedroom door behind her and let out a heavy sigh. She slid down to the floor with her back against the door, the thought's racing through her mind. Should she have done that? Was it wrong to have kissed him when there was so little meaning? She didn't know what to think of her own selfish actions. She just wanted to erase what she felt for Marceline that much.

Ah, it was too late. As she thought about Marceline, it was like all the efforts of that night were wasted. She was now the only thing that filled her scattered mind. As the thoughts raced, she remembered how little words they exchanged and the silence began to choke her all over again. And just then, she remembered how she said she would call her.

Bubblegum pulled out her cell phone not a moment to soon and searched through her contacts until she came to Marceline's. Her heart began to beat like a caged animal inside her chest, making her hands shake and tremble as she hesitated to press the 'call' button. What if Marceline was busy? Or what if Marceline didn't want to talk to her? They had left on such little words that Bubblegum wasn't even sure if Marceline was upset with her or not. But she had to talk to her. She had to.

Her thumb finally pressed down on the button and she pressed the phone against her cheek and swallowed hard.

Beep-beep. Beep-beep. Beep-beep.

"The person you are calling isn't available-" She hung up.

At that moment, it was like all the courage she had mustered was suddenly washed. She pulled her phone away and stared at it, the empty feeling growing inside of her. Marceline had never missed a call from her before, so what did this mean?

She pulled herself up from her spot on the floor and threw her phone on her bed before letting out another heavy sigh.

"What have I done? This is all my fault."

There was a faint humming coming from the spair room in Marceline's house as Gumball got dressed on the other side after his shower.

"There we go. Clean as ever." He smiled before stepping out with his clothes in his hands, taking them down to the washing machine and sticking a wash on as he continued to hum to himself softly.

"mmm.."

"Hmm?" The moan from the other room caught his attention. He poked his head out to see Marceline's sleeping body had shifted in her sleep. He came into the room, leaning against the door frame with a gentle smile on his face. "Sleeping there can't be comfy, Mar-Mar" He chuckled.

He knew he shouldn't really be doing it, but he ended up staring at her sleeping face, just smiling. For once, his mind was calm and at peace.

He walked over and scooped her up in his arms gently, carrying her up to her room and placing her in her bed.

"Marceline, I wished that you'd just find the happiness you deserve" He sighed, gently stroking a peice of her her face behind her ear. "I'll always stand by you though, no matter how much it hurts to see you like this."

He chuckled at his own words, shaking his head and leaving the sleeping girl to herself. Really, he was hopeless to feel this way, wasn't he?

There was a click as the door was shut behind him and he made his way back downstairs. He couldn't sleep until his clothes had finished being washed, after all. But something caught his eye. On the floor was Marceline's phone and the light was flashing, indicating she had a message. He picked it up and it turned on, revealing she had one missed call. At first it was an accident to switch it on; he knew it was wrong to look through someone's phone. But when he saw who it was from, his stomach knotted up and he ended holding the phone tightly in his hand.

"Bubblegum...you're the reason she's hurting so much. Even if you don't realise it, you're no good for her" He growled under his breath, sounding completely different from his usual, happy self.

He clenched his jaw as the many times he had seen Marceline cry or upset ran through his mind and without thinking, his fingers began to type away.

Bzzz-bzzz

"Hmm?" Bubblegum looked at her phone from behind her pink towel as she dried her hair. She curiously scooted to the other end of her bed, where her phone was laying and picked it up to see she had a text from Marceline. "..Marceline." She felt nervous again and swallowed, opening the text.

"...what's this?" Her stomach dropped as the words on her screen began to burn into her mind. The overwhelming regret she felt was enough to crush her on the spot, but all she could do was stare at her phone and hope the tears didn't break her hold and run down her cold cheeks. Why? Why would Marceline say such things?

She couldn't take looking at the words that cut so deep into her soul anymore and shut her phone, throwing it to the other side of her bed before bringing her knees up and hiding her face in them, crying like she was a child who had lost something they loved. Why was she so stupid? Why did she make the mistakes she did? She couldn't bare it anymore.

"Marceline...WHY!?" She cried, falling onto her side, curled up into a ball. The night continued to shine through her window, the gentle moonlight highlighting her broken frame as she cried and cried until she slipped into a dream. A dream that was far better than this reality. A place she wished she could stay forever.

"mmnnn" The morning sunlight shon through onto a pair of crimson eyes that peered open, glancing at the clock to see it was still pretty early. "Ughh...wait, how did I get here?" She sat up, looking around with her dark hair sticking up in odd placing. But before she could think of how she got into her bed, the sweet smell of bacon snuck under her nose, getting her sharp attention quickly.

"Bacon? What the glob?" She jumped out of bed and made her way down into her kitchen to see her pink haired friend cooking away. He was humming and completely unaware of Marceline's presence, like he was miles away. And at the same time, she realised how she got into her bed, not that she cared anymore. She was too caught up in the scent of well-cooked bacon.

"Hey, Gumboy. Who said you could cook in my kitchen?" She smirked, snapping the young man out of his distant thoughts.

"Ah, Marceline. Good to see you're awake. " He smiled, turning to her as he placed the bacon onto a piece of buttered bread, squirting some tomato sauce over it and placing another piece of bread on time. "I was going to come wake you with this, but this is fine." He handed the bacon sandwich to a gobsmacked Marceline.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to go out of your way to make me this" She said nervously, followed by a somewhat awkward laugh. She couldn't deny it though, it did look good.

"Nonsense. You can't kick start your day without a good breakfast." He chuckled, popping the frying pan in the sink.

She didn't argue anymore and left him to clean up since he seemed happy enough to do so and began eating her sandwich.

Just then something caught her eye; her phone placed neatly on her coffee table. She reached out and checked it only to be dissappointed. Really, what was she expecting? She was hoping to see something from Bubblegum, but she should've known better.

"Is everything alright, Mar-Mar?" Gumball startled her, making her jump a little. There he stood in the doorway with his arms folded and leaning casually against the frame, a small smirk on his face. Jeez, he's been hanging around Marshall for too long.

"You scared me!" Marceline scowled, placing her phone back on the coffee table and standing up. "Whatever, I'm going to get ready for school." And with that, she went upstairs without any more words.

"Heh, sorry, Mar-Mar." He chuckled before glancing at Marceline's phone for a second, a small scowl being the only face he could show it before turning away.

Eventually the two left on their walk to school, the sun beaming down with it's gentle warmth. It was a bright day, just like yesterday, but Marceline wasn't going to let it decieve her twice. She knew Bubblegum had been out with Marshall last night, and even though she hated the thought, she needed to know what happened. She didn't know why she felt this undying urge to know nothing happened, but she did. But she was also aware of the chance that she might not like what she'll hear.

"It's a nice day, don't you think?" Gumball chuckled. "We should go somewhere after school. Of course, all of us." Gumball smiled brightly, the beaming sun hitting his back and giving him that same angelic look as before. Marceline couldn't help but stare, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. It was like everything in those few moments was perfect, like the whole thing with Bubblegum wasn't happening, or like it didn't matter.

Shaking her head, Marceline snapped out of it and nodded in response to his questions.

"Uh, yeah. That sounds great." Gumball let out a chuckle, catching Marceline's attention. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just I could've sword I saw you..." He closed his eyes, smiling to himself. "It's nothing, don't worry."

"H-hey, don't just not tell me!" Marceline huffed. "Spit it out."

"No, really. It was nothing." He turned to her and reached up, his hands patting her dark hair gently. "You're a good friend, Marceline. Let's have fun with everyone tonight." His smile was so bright it was almost blinding, but it was also like there was a hidden pain behind his smile.

"Whatever, let's just hurry up." Marceline frowned, running off ahead and leaving the pink haired young man behind.

"Everything I do is for you. I hope you'll understand that, Marceline." His words were quiet, unheard by anyone but him. "Hey, wait up!" He called, dashing off after his friend with a smile.

AN: Not sure if this chapter is too short, but I just want to get an update up for you guys since I haven't had the time lately. And on that note, sorry for the late update. The last couple of days it's been busy and I managed to get in a few quiet hours to just write and it felt so bloody good XD so yes, after tomorrow (so on saturday) I'll be back to making regular updates. Thank you for the reviews and favourites ~3 Peace out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Beautiful lies.

Marceline and Gumball had arrived at school ealier than needed, and both sat around at their table until everyone began to pile in.

"You two coming in together? I don't like the sound of that." Marshall winked, sitting next to Marceline. "So?"

"So what?" Marceline frowned. "You make it sound like something happened."

"Alright, alright." Marshall chuckled, leaning back in his seat, casually.

"Aren't you going to tell us how it went last night with Bubblegum?" Gumball asked, leaning forward eagerly. He knew Marceline wouldn't want to hear about it, but he thought that maybe she didn't have anything to worry about and he wanted her to hear it.

"As a matter of fact, we had a great time." Marshall said smugly, ruining any hope that Marceline had, though she wasn't aware of it. "She actually gave me a little kiss after"

"Oh?" Gumball leaned in more, a smirk on his face "And how was it?"

"Eh, it wasn't a big deal. Just a little peck to end the night, nothing big." Marshall's smug voice rang through Marceline's ears, but hearing it was 'no big deal' ticked her off a little, but she wasn't sure why. But it also relieved her a little to know that's all it was. She was dreading a tale about how Marshall shoved his tongue down her throat, or something. Luckily it didn't come to that.

"So have you planned anything else?" Marceline asked, shifting in her seat to face him.

"No yet, but I plan to, obviously." He smirked. "Maybe next time I'll get a little more from her."

"Hey, guys." Finn chirped, making the subject drop instantly. Marceline was glad too, because she was losing her patience with Marshall at this point. She couldn't stand him talking about Bubblegum like that, like he had some sort of rope tied around her and he could just pull her in any time he wanted.

"Sup, Finn?" The young blonde sat beside Gumball and glanced around.

"Is Bubblegum not here yet?" He asked, making everyone glance around while Gumball checked the time.

"It is odd, isn't it? Usually she'd be here by now.." Gumball pursed her lips. "Give her a call, maybe?"

"On it." Marshall chuckled, pulling out his phone and dailing her number. He waited and waited, but...

Ring, ring, ring...

"Mmm..." A pair of blue eyes peeled open, dry tears stained her face. She sat up slowly, looking at the vibrating phone and sighed, pulling it close and checking the call ID.

"Marshall.." She sighed, throwing the phone back down before throwing her legs over the edge of her bed and checking the time. "I'm running late, huh?"

She stood up, threw some clothes on and made herself look decent before heading out. The cool, morning air hit her, waking her up more. It was the first time Bubblegum had felt bitter towards the fresh mornings, but walking out into this scenery was the least thing she wanted right now. She just wanted to stay in bed, curled up into a little ball and forget the world existed, but she couldn't. She had grades to keep up, people to keep happy. It was only now that she realised how much her life revolved around others. Her parents were successful people in reasearch, and she wanted to go into the field of sciences too, so it wasn't all forced. But they were hard on her, forcing her to do all her homework, study nonstop, and that was at a young age. She was a genius, yes, but it came with a price.

She had forgotten what it meant to live for herself rather than to please the people around her. When she was young, she struggled to make friends at all. She was so smart that the other kids didn't want to play with her; they thought she was weird. But then, she met Marceline. Two girls, alone in the world. It was like fate had brought them together on that day. Ever since they met, they had been best friends since. No one could pull them appart, and a day without the other seemed impossible. As they got older, their differences became more obvious and clear, yet they still stuck together.

Marceline was a slacker, no doubt, and Bubblegum's parents weren't happy with their daughter being friends with someone who could bring down her grades. So Bubblegum worked extra hard to keep her grades up while still helping Marceline. Bubblegum worked feverishly, but she didn't stop. She wanted her parents to approve of Marceline too much to give up. And she managed to pull through in the end.

So why now? Why was it so hard for her to help Marceline now? Because Marceline seemed to not care. It was like Marceline was oblivious to the sacrifices Bubblegum was making, and it hurt her. When they were younger, it was okay. But now, it would be ten times harder on Bubblegum and she just couldn't do it for someone who didn't appreciate her. She had felt like their friendship was draining her, and it was slowly killing her. The thing that had finally done it was the text she recieved last night, making Bubblegum's world shatter in an instant. While it was nothing hurtful, it was blunt and a big slap in the face to Bubblegum: Marceline didn't care. Their friendship was dying, and so was Bubblegum's spirit along with it.

"Sorry for not picking up, but I was having too much fun with Gumball to answer. Sorry - :-D but you were just calling to tell me about your date with Marshall, right? I'm sure it can wait. See you tomorrow." That was the text. Something so simple, but sent from the right person, it can shatter a soul into pieces.

Bubblegum continued to drag herself to school, uncaring of the people passing her by on the street that would say 'hello' or 'goodmorning'. It was unlike her, indeed, but what did it matter? She only lived for other's, after all.

She had finally made it in with ten minutes to spare and was on her way to meet up with her friends, but stopped when she noticed them chatting away. She watched them from a distance, her mind running blank for a moment.

She knew that if she stayed off school, they'd only worry, but it was the last place she wanted to be. Yet again, she was here for others. To keep her parents happy, her grades up and her friends from worry. But what was the use in going over there when she was unable to hide the pain on her face? She decided to head to class instead and give herself a moment to clear her mind with some text books.

Class soon started, Marceline being startled when she saw Bubblegum. She wasn't sure if she was happy, or if she was sad to see her and she wasn't sure why. It was a mixture of both, and it only irritated her to feel like that. She sat herself down behind Bubblegum, who hadn't noticed Marceline arrive. Marceline pursed her lips, unsure if she should say anything when-

"Alright class, settle down." The teacher called, sitting at his desk. The morning chatter died down and the lesson started, leaving Marceline no chance to talk to Bubblegum until after lesson.

"Hey.." Marceline smiled awkwardly, poking the back of Bubblegum's chair with her foot. "We thought you weren't coming in today. You alright?" Marceline's question made Bubblegum pause. She didn't know why, but the care in Marceline's voice had made it hard for Bubblegum to fight back tears, but somehow, she managed.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She turned around, smiling brightly. "I'm sorry if I worried you guys."

"No, not at all. We figured we'd just pop down later to check on you." Marceline chuckled. "Besides, Marshall already told us about the whole date thing." Truthfully, Marceline had only told Bubblegum that to avoid having to listen to Bubblegum go on about it. She didn't want to know how much she enjoyed it. Not because she didn't care, but because for some reason, it hurt her.

"I figured he would." Bubblegum rolled her eyes, but felt a pain in her chest when she remembered the text. "So...you were with Gumball last night, too, huh?"

"Yeah, he stayed the night...but..how did you know?" Marceline raised an eyebrow.

"You texted me, remember?" Marceline looked confused, pulling out her phone and scrolling through her text until she saw it, making her eyes widen.

"I don't remember sending that..." She wondered for a moment. "Really, I don't remember at all."

"How can you not remember? Honestly, Marceline.." Bubblegum sighed, feeling a little hurt that Marceline didn't even remember sending her the text that had upset her so much. But at the same time, she was a little relieved.

"You know I would never have said something like that though, right? Let alone use that smiley face.." Marceline laughed awkwardly. "I'll ask Gumball if he saw me text anyone then."

"OKay, but...what did you two do?" Bubblegum asked. She honestly didn't want to know, but she felt like if the question continued to linger in her mind, she'd go crazy.

"Nothing much. We just drank, talked and slept. Not in the same bed, of course. I think I fell asleep on the sofa."

"I see. Well it sounds nice." Bubblegum smiled. She had a calm smile on her face, but inside, she had felt a relief greater than anything.

The two girls went off to meet with the guys for their break, chatting and forgetting the whole issue before. But both girls carried a heavy weight on their shoulders and feelings they could hardly bare.

"Oh, Bubblegum! It's good to see you." Gumball greeted brightly as the two girls joined them.

"Yeah, how come you didn't answer my call?" Marshall cut in front of Marceling to sit beside Bubblegum, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "Really had me worried."

"Yeah, sorry, I was just busy, I guess." Bubblegum lied, shifting a little. She glance over at Marceline while their friend contniued to give Bubblegum little space to breath. Marceline had bit her tongue, sitting beside Gumball. She had half a mind to smack Marshall upside the head for being so rude, but she didn't want to cause an isssue...yet.

AN: I apologise if this chapter is short and boring AND I apologise for not updating for ages. The reason for that was because I was busy with moving, then I went a week with no internet, so I couldn't post anything, anyway. Then up until now, I've been busy with college work, but I'm all cought up now so hopefull I'll be able to update a little more. I do currently have other projects going on, so I can't say exactly how fast this'll get updated.


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